Sugarcane aphid pressure is very low right now as we continue to monitor sorghum fields. This year due to many factors SCA populations did not increase as drastically as last year. Continuous rainfall, overcast skies, low heat, abundance of predators, tolerant varieties, and effective insecticide chemistry all contribute to the lower populations of SCA in sorghum this year.
A few fields were sprayed for sorghum midge as we have been seeing 10-20% sorghum midge infestation in fields and light head worm pressure. As we spray for sorghum midge and head worms continue to monitor sorghum for late SCA outbreaks. I would strongly recommend that if you are not seeing an average SCA population of 100 SCA/leaf then you should wait to spray if possible so as not to decrease the beneficial insects present keeping the SCA in check.
